United States Patent (11) 3,632,391
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United States Patent (11) 3,632,391 72) Inventors Robert E. Whitfield 3,233,962 2/1966 Nelson......................... 17162.2 X Pleasant Hill; 3,318,727 5/1967 Boenig. 1 7/62.2 X Allen G. Pittman, El Cerrito; William L. Wasley, Berkeley, all of Calif. FOREIGN PATENTS 21 Appl. No. 805,379 957,564 2/1957 Germany...................... 22 Filed Mar. 7, 1969 Primary Examiner-William D. Martin 45) Patented Jan. 4, 1972 Assistant Examiner-David Cohen 73 Assignee The United States of America as Attorneys-R. Hoffman, W. Bier and W. Takacs represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Original application May 12, 1967, Ser. No. 655,695, now Patent No. 3,440,002, ABSTRACT: Fibrous materials (e.g., wool, cotton, viscose, which is a division of application Ser. No. etc.) carrying a deposit of a preformed polymer containing 371,150, May 28, 1964, now Patent No. functional groups, which is cross-linked in situ through reac 3,372,978. Divided and this application tion with a fixative containing functional groups complemen Mar. 7, 1969, Ser. No. 805,379 tary to those on the polymer. Typically, the functional groups on the polymer are carbonyl halide, haloformate, isocyanate, anhydride, or carbamyl halide groups. In such case, the func 54 TREATMENT OF TEXTILE MATERIALS tional groups on the fixative may be amino or hydroxyl groups. 28 Claims, No Drawings Alternatively, the polymer may contain amino or hydroxyl groups, in which case the fixative would contain carbonyl ha 52 U.S. Cl........................................................ 117/62.2, lide, haloformate, isocyanate, anhydride, or carbamyl groups. 1 171126 AB, 117/126GB, 1171138.8 F, 1171138.8 Various types of polymers may be employed including addi UA, 177138.8 E, 177138.8 N, 1171138.8D, tion polymers and copolymers, and condensation polymers 1 17/140A, 117/141, 1171142, 117/143 A such as polyesters, polyamides, and polyethers. The novel 5) Int. Cl......................................................... B44d 1/44 products are made by processes which utilize a phase bounda (50 Field of Search............................................ 1 17162. 1, ry limited reaction. One embodiment thereof is to form the 62.2, 14, 142, 143 A, 148, 155 R, 155 UA, 145, complementary agents (the preformed polymer and fixative) 126 GB, 126 AB, 138.8 F, 138.8 UA, 138.8 E, into separate solutions in mutually immiscible solvents, these 138.8 N, 138.8D, 140 A, 161 P, 161 K, 1 solutions then being applied serially to the fibrous material. 56) References Cited Alternatively, a solution of one of the agents in a volatile sol vent is applied to the substrate, which is then dried to remove UNITED STATES PATENTS solvent, and the complementary agent is then applied in fluid 3, 152,920 10/1964 Caldwell et al............... 1 17162.2X form, e.g., as a vapor or dissolved in a solvent which is not 3,156,579 1 1/1964 Baldwin et al................ 17162.2 necessarily immiscible with the first solvent. 3,632,391 2 TREATMENT OF TEXTLE MATER ALS substrate are modified by applying thereto a preformed This application is a division of our application Ser. No. polymer and cross-linking it to form a three-dimensional 655,695, filed May 12, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,002, structure, the cross-linking being accomplished by reaction of which in turn is a division of our application Ser. No. 371,150, the preformed polymer and the fixative at a phase boundary. filed May 28, 1964, now U.S. Patent No. 3,372,978. In a typical embodiment of the invention, wool is first im A nonexclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the pregnated with an aqueous solution of the fixative, e.g., a invention herein described, throughout the world for all diamine such as hexamethylene diamine. The wool is then im purposes of the United States Government, with the power pregnated with a solution of a preformed polymer in a water to grant sublicenses for such purposes, is hereby granted to immiscible solvent such as carbon tetrachloride. The polymer the Government of the United States of America. 10 may be, for example, a copolymer of ethylene and A principal object of this invention is the provision of new methacryloyl chloride, containing at least three COC1 groups methods for treating fibrous materials, particularly textiles. per molecule. By serial application of these solutions to the Another object of the invention is the provision of the novel fabric, each fibrous element is coated with a two-phase products so produced. Further objects and advantages of the system, for example, an inner layer of diamine in water and an invention will be obvious from the following description 15 outer layer of the highly reactive polymer in water-immiscible wherein parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise solvent. Under these conditions, the diamine and the polymer specified. The symbol d is used throughout to designate the react almost instantaneously at the boundary between the Structure. phases, producing in situ on the fibera cross-linked, insoluble, resin coating. By suitable selection of the complementary reactants, a wide variety of polymeric, fiber-modifying agents In the processing of fibrous materials, e.g., textiles, it is can be cross-linked in situ on fibers. It is to be particularly often desired to modify the inherent properties of the materi noted that no heat-curing step is needed-the serial applica als, for example, to improve their shrinkage characteristics, to tion of the reactants is all that is necessary. The critical feature increase their resistance to soiling, to enhance their softness, 25 in this regard is that we provide a phase boundary-limited etc. Various procedures have been advocated for such pur system whereby the cross-linking takes place directly-as poses and they usually involve applying to the fibrous sub soon as the reactants are applied-and hence there is no need strate an agent having the chemical structure required to ef for heat curing to promote the reaction. fect the desired modification of the fibers. Such agents In the patents of Miller et al. 3,078,138 and Whitfield et al. which may be generically termed fiber-modifying agents-are 30 3,079,216, 3,079,217, 3,084,018 3,084,019 and 3,093,441 generally polymers of any of various classes, for example, there are disclosed processes wherein linear condensation polyethylene, polypropylene, or other polyolefines, polymers-e.g., polymides-are formed in situ on fibrous sub chlorosulphonated polyethylenes; polyvinylpyrrollidones; strates by polymerizing complementary bifunctional polymer polyepoxides; formaldehyde-melamine resins; vinyl polymers; intermediates in an interfacial system. Thus in a typical em starch and starch derivatives, etc. Ordinarily, application of 35 bodiment thereof, wool is first impregnated with an aqueous the polymer with nothing more yields at best a temporary af solution of a diamine and then impregnated with a solution of fect; the polymer is removed when the treated fibers are sub a diacid chloride in a water-immiscible solvent such as carbon jected to laundering or dry cleaning. To attain a more lasting tetrachloride. Under these conditions, polymerization takes effect, it is conventional to apply the polymer in conjunction place at the interface between the mutually immiscible phases, with an agent-commonly termed a fixative or curing agent 40 producing in situ a linear polyamide. in order to cause a cross-linking of the molecules of the Although the procedures of the aforesaid patents provide polymer rendering it insoluble in water and dry-cleaning sol very useful and practical results and are indeed in commercial vents. A universal feature of such procedures is that they use, they inherently possess certain limitations. The procedure require a curing operation at elevated temperatures to attain of the present invention does not have these limitations and, the desired insolubilization of the polymer. A typical 45 moreover, provides results are not obtainable by the prior procedure of this type is disclosed by Bruner et al. (U.S. Pat. techniques. These points are further explained as follows: No. 2,678,286) who apply a solution containing (a) 1. A fundamental item is that the patented procedure util chlorosulphonated polyethylene and (b) a fixative such as izes an interfacial system to build a polymer from small units hexamethylenediamine or 3-methoxyhexamethylene diamine so that the procedure may accurately be termed interfacial to wool and then cure the treated wool at 150° C. for 50 polymerization and is so referred to hereinafter. On the other anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes. Such heat curing steps entail hand, the present procedure starts with a preformed polymer serious disadvantages. For one thing, they impede production and utilizes an interfacial system to cross-link it. Thus, the by tying up large amounts of material. For example, in textile present procedure may be considered as involving interfacial mills processing is conducted at rates of at least 25 yards per cross-linking of a preformed polymer. The distinction is not minute and it is obvious that if a heat cure of 10 minutes is 55 just a matter of words but involves basic and important required, 250 yards of material will constantly be tied up in distinctions. A vital point is that the patented system forms the curing oven, hence not available for use or sale. Other dis linear polymers. Bifunctional polymer-forming monomers are advantages are the expense of the heating equipment, main applied and a linear polymer is produced on the surface of the tenance of the auxiliary devices such as guides, rollers, etc., substrate. In contrast, in the present procedure a preformed and the cost of fuel. A further point is that heating at curing 60 linear polymer is initially applied as the primary reactant.